Fuel distributor



June 4, 1935. J. H. ICHTER 2,003,445

FUEL DISTRIBUTOR Filed Sept. 12, 1950 "III/I/I/I/ I/IIIIIIIIII/ L% 3 2g I l: k INVENTOR Jaflzzfl [011 fer BY 5W A TTORNE Y Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FUEL DISTRIBUTOR Application September 12, 1930, Serial No. 481,370

6 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to scatter feed types of stokers in which the fuel is spread over the fire by a fuel distributing system including a pressure blast.

In stokers of the character described it is usual to use ordinary run of mine coal. This coal varies in size from very minute particles to lumps of considerable size. In order to uniformly spread the different size particles and lumps of coal uniformly over the fire with a minimum stack loss it has been customary to employ a plurality of pressure fluid blasts arranged with a distributor plate so that the blast of highest intensity acts upon the largest lumps of coal and the blasts of lower intensity spread the smaller particles. Such distributing systems become quite cumbersome and require careful and intelligent manipulation of the diffe"ent blasts to obtain effective and efficient distribution.

The main purpose of my invention is the provision of an improved method of scattering the coal whereby uniform spreading and a substantially equal classification of coal over all parts of the fire may be achieved by the use of a single blast of pressure fluid arranged with a distributor plate in a novel manner. In carrying out the invention I also aim to provide a new and improved distributor plate peculiarly constructed for use with my improved fuel feeding system but which plate in itself is an improvement upon existing distributor plates.

This invention consists in the method of distribution and the novel construction and combination and arrangement of the parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is a vertical section of a portion of a furnace and a stoker therefor, showing the invention in position therein;

Fig. 2 is a detail plan section on the broken line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view taken from within the firebox on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The invention is particularly applicable to stokers for locomotives and will be hereinafter described for purposes of illustration as applied to a locomotive stoker, but the invention is not so limited and be utilized in stokers for furnaces of various description.

A portion of the loco-motive boiler firebox is represented at the backhead of the boiler at H and the firing opening therein at B2. A suitable stolzer conveyor, denoted generally at 13, is provided for conveying the fuel from a source of supply and delivering it to the firing opening l2. That part of the stoking mechanism illustrated comprises a riser conduit l4 rigidly supported from the backwall l I by suitable securing means, as by the bracket l5, and a conduit l6 leading from a source of fuel supply and universally connected at its forward end with the lower end of the riser conduit M. A screw II in the conduit it advances the fuel and delivers it to the riser conduit I4. The riser conduit [4 is provided with a removable cover section l8 which may be hinged at its upper end and held in closed position by a latch l9, whereby access may be had to the interior of the riser conduit.

Fuel is delivered from the riser conduit l4 directly onto my new and improved fuel distributing means including the distributor plate 20 and the distributor head 2!. The distributor plate extends from a point just without the firebox, forwardly through the firing opening into the firebox. This plate operatively constitutes a continuation of the bottom wall 22 of the riser conduit and is provided at its forward side portions with the J-shaped ribs 23 which intercept a portion of the fuel and direct it to the rear corners of the firebox.

The distributor head 2! is vertically disposed in the floor of the riser conduit rearwardly of the distributor plate and outside of the firebox.

Pressure fluid such as steam is supplied by a de sired number of supply pipes 24. Only one supply pipe is needed if but one chamber as at 25 is formed in the head, but preferably, a plurality of cored chambers with a supply lineto each one is used. The pressure fluid issues from the distributor head 2! in substantially the same single horizontal plane from the jet openings 26, which are in horizontal arrangement across the front face of the head. These openings are located a predetermined distance above the distributor plate and arranged in a novel combination with the plate as will presently appear.

The surface of the distributor plate 20 inclines slightly downward from its rearward to its forward edge and is provided, in addition tothe J ribs 2-3, with a plurality of longitudinal upstanding ribs 27. The ribs 2'! are highest at their forward ends and taper as they extend rearwardly until they merge into the surface of the plate. Thus it will be seen the ribs 2"! in cline upwardly from the horizontal as they extend forward and the spaces 28 between the ribs incline downwardly as they extend forward. In referring to the rearward and forward ends of the distributor plate it will be understood that the rearward end is that end to which the fuel is delivered and the forward end is that end from which the fuel is projected.

Preferably, the jet openings are spaced laterally in substantial longitudinal alignment with the spaces 28 of the distributor plate, so that the jets of steam will be directed between the ribs 21 and the end jets will be directed into the side pockets formed by the J ribs 23. This arrangement is best shown in Fig. 2 and from Fig. 1 it will be observed that the single row of openings 26 is disposed at a height above the plate so that the center and zone of highest intensity of the blast impinges against the inclined ribs 27 or against the lump fuel riding on the ribs above the spaces 28. The lower pressure zone or outer periphery portion of the conical jets comprising the fan shaped blast will be directed along the downwardly inclined surface of the distributor plate in the spaces 28.

In operation the fuel is delivered through the riser conduit l4 over the distributor head 25 onto the distributor plate 28 into the zone of action of the single blast of pressure fluid issuing from the jet openings 26 of the distributor head. As the fuel moves forward most of the finer particles pass between the ribs 21 while the lumps of fuel which are too large to pass between will be combed out and projected along the top of the ribs. It is evident therefore, that the coarse or lump fuel will leave the distributor plate with an upward'angle, and have a longer trajectory without greater initial velocity, and furthermore, the lump fuel will be projected by the center and higher pressure zone of the conical jets, and the fines in the spaces 28 will be projected by the outer portion and lower pressure zone of the jets, thereby permitting equal distribution of fine and coarse fuel over the entire firebed with a single blast of pressure fluid of comparatively low intensity.

The spacing between the ribs 21 will determine the size of the lumps which are combed out and given a longer trajectory, and may therefore, be of any desired width. The ribs near the center of the distributor plate are substantially parallel with the center line of the firebox and direct fuel to the central section thereof while the ribs nearer the sides of the distributor plate diverge from the inner ribs and direct fuel to the sides and front corners of the firebox.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fuel distributing system, for scattering fuel over a fire in combination, a distributor plate, a distributor head rearward of said plate, the top surface of said plate declining from the horizontal from its rearward to its forward edge, a plurality of upstanding ribs extending in the direction of declination of said plate and spaced apart on said top surface of the plate merging at their rearward ends in said plate and gradually increasing in height toward their forward ends, and a plurality of jet openings spaced across the front face of said distributor head arranged at a height above the top surface of said plate so that the centers of the blasts issuing from said openings intersect the plane of the tops of said ribs and the lower portions of the blasts sweep over said top surface and between said ribs.

2. In a fuel distributing system for scattering fuel over a fire, in combination, a distributor plate, a pressure fluid distributor head rearward of said plate, a plurality of jet openings spaced across the front face of said distributor head, and a plurality of upstanding ribs extending lengthwise of said plate and spaced apart on the top surface of said plate, said ribs increasing in height toward their forward ends, said jet openings being arranged at a height above the top surface of said plate so that the centers of the blasts issuing from said openings intersect the plane of the tops of said ribs and the lower portions of the blasts sweep over said top surface and between said ribs.

3. In a fuel distributing system for scattering fuel over a fire, in combination, a distributor plate, apressure fluid distributor head rearward of said plate, a plurality of jet openings spaced across the front face of said distributor head, and a plurality of upstanding ribs extending lengthwise of said plate and spaced apart on the top surface of said plate, said ribs merging at their rearward ends in said plate and'increasing in height toward their forward ends, said .jet openings being arranged at a height above the top surface of said plate so that the centers of the blasts issuing from said openings intersect the plane of the tops of said ribs and the lower portion of the blasts sweep over said top surface and between said ribs.

4. The method of distributing fuel over a fire, consisting in subjecting the coarse fuel to the center or zone of higher intensity of forwardly directed blasts issuing from a single approximately horizontal row of jet openings and the fine fuel to the lower portion or zone of lower intensity of the blasts, separating the coarse from the fine fuel, imparting an upward inclination to the coarse fuel and a downward inclination to the fine fuel and directing a portion of the forwardly projected fuel laterally.

5. In a fuel distributing system for scattering fuel over a fire, in combination, a distributor plate, a pressure fluid distributor head rearward of said plate, a plurality of jet openings spaced across the front face of said distributor head, a plurality of upstanding ribs extending lengthwise of said plate and spaced apart on the top surface of said plate, said ribs increasing in height toward their forward ends, said jet openings being arranged at a height above the top surface of said plate so that the centers of the blasts issuing from said openings intersect the plane of the tops of said ribs and the lower portions of the blasts sweep over said top surface and between said ribs and means provided with said plate for directing a portion of the projected fuel laterally from said plate.

6. In a fuel distributing system for scattering fuel over a fire, in combination, a distributor plate, a pressure fluid distributor head rearward of said plate, a plurality of jet openings spaced across the frontface of said distributor head, a plurality of upstanding ribs extending lengthwise of said plate and spaced apart'on the top surface of said plate, said ribs increasing in height to ward their forward ends, said jet openings being arranged at a height above the top surface of said plate so that the centers of the blasts issuing from said openings intersect the plane of the tops of said ribs and the lower portion of the blasts sweep over said top surface and between said ribs and a .i-shaped rib at each side of said plate on the top surface thereof, said J-shaped rib curving in a direction transverse to the passage of fuel over said plate.

' JOHN H. ICI-ITER. 

